The atmosphere is amazing, and the cutsceenes direction is outstanding. But appart from that I'd have to agree with the majority here. I really don't know what the fuss is about this game. Especially the gameplay and AI and the sounds these "frogs" make when they're shot at... just weird.

Really interested in playing, tho. Too bad noone of my friends got a PS3... :/

100% agree. I too fail to see what's so great about this game. A game can't solely lean on a good story...it is a game afterall. Though it seems plenty people like these "interactive movies"...whatever.

I guess I'll just have to wait a bit longer for that first actual PS3 game purchase after owning a PS3 for what...6 months?! I got F1: CE second hand and that's it. Nothing even remotely worth picking up for, for 60 Euro's (if you already own a 360). It's really starting to annoy me. What the hell did I get that bloody thing for?! Sony, hurry up with all these amazing exclusives whatever they might be! [/rant]

ive seen the game through to the end now, and im very dissapointed...i could say the gameplay is average at best in comparison to Gears/COD4/ ect..but unfortunately, there is so little gameplay here that i cant even take this seriously as a game...this is an interactive movie...i thought the framerate was going to be 60 but its not, it goes from 30fps up to 60 when little is going on, and while it does look very good, its nothing really impressive..the hype didnt do this game any good, my expectations were very high and i got a movie instead of a game..interesting movie tho

Sorry for the late reply but, MGS 2 had multiple camera angles which showed snake's and raiden's rear ends. MGS3 Subsistence had a free camera. MGS portable ops also had a free camera. Really, MGS 1 is the only game where you won't get a camera shot of a man's rear end.It's a staple of the series. It carries on with the series' humor(like Johnny Akiba for example).

Edit: Two more things.

1. Do you start off with the tranquilizer gun(Is it possible to not kill a single person in the game)?

2. Is there a European Extreme difficulty?

you start with no guns just a stun knife but you get one early in the first act and yea you can play it very stealthy and tranquilize when needed. You don't start out with European Extreme difficulty but it could be unlockable.

my GOTY by a country mile. and i still have to plish off the final act. GTA was it but this basically just shat all over it. gameplay is awesome and diverse as hell as is the story, much more refined and focused compared to MGS2/3. its as perfect a MGS title is ever going to get i think. other then graphical overhauls of course. its been, what? 9 years since MGS on the PSone? this game topped it after completing the first 2 acts for me. its amazing. not only of the best looking games this gen, but im sure its gonna remain my best game...PERIOD, for a long long time. it was MGS1, and now MGS4 completely flaws it.

Uncalled for.

So lets lay the cards on the table then, is this game a pile of overated cut scene crap? Im not talking to the 360 fanboys who wanted to see this fail or the whining spoilt children we seem to have nowadays spouting their boring views on the latest game.

Is it worth a purchase?

Well, I don't own the game myself but I will add a few remarks regarding comments.

It seems as if, for a certain few people here, that they were expecting a western shooter from a japanese stealth game. Also, the fact that enemies scream loudly when shot, enemies use exclamation points, and other little tidbits(like breaking the 4th wall type of humor) have always existed in the MGS series. Adding on to that, the fact that there are a lot of cut scenes and dialogue also existed in previous MGS games. I don't quite understand why certain people were complaining against such things. I'm guessing that maybe they could be new to the MGS series itself, which isn't a good thing if you're just starting out on the very last one, and also explains the bit of confusion.

Also, concerning gameplay... Once again we have this problem where people want "the next step up" in terms of gameplay, yet they don't even know what that is in the first place. During the Resident Evil 5 update that was posted here previously, a few said that it was pretty much RE 4.5 because it plays almost the same. I sincerely asked them what could they possibly add to the gameplay without changing it into a completely different game or ruining it. And they couldn't answer. I'm not saying MGS4 didn't improve upon things(I've read that they've improved the shooting and made a few stealth moves easier to perform), but I don't know what gigantic gameplay leap people were expecting from it.

And that's the thing, I really need to know what people mean from this. Are they expecting something like Wii controls with current gen graphics? Which simply isn't possible? I don't know for sure, but I do find that criticizing something that wasn't broken in the first place to be somewhat overly picky.

This new generation of pickiness is very strange to me, as people weren't being nearly as picky in the PS2/GC/Xbox generation and usually just played games on whatever system they owned to have fun. I suspect that the whole "console war" fuels this picky attitude, but I'm not even sure about that. The more I hear it though the more I feel sorry for developers for having to put up with this somewhat spoiled attitude from gamers, especially the ones so blatantly against everything that it makes me want to punch my PC's screen sometimes. I think I'll just stop here for now before I get way too far into it.

Contra you are so right. I can't believe the comment here sometime. People are unbelievable.

People forget how to have fun this gen and also they are --->VERY<--- graphic whore.

Though I don't like the cutscene 2 gameplay ratio and somethings you will notice are not ok by todays standards, this is a life changing game it will amaze you with its graphics story and some late in the game gameplay segments.This is a must buy for PS3 owners everywhere.

Yes, and there are better looking games out there ON PS3. Forget the fanboyish crap people want to get out of my posts, but I know a great looking game when I see it and I know an overrated game too. I have praised PS3 games' graphics when I see fit (Killzone, GT5, that chick action game, Formula One, etc etc, I could go on).

When a reviewer tells me this is a 10/10 for graphics the whole review loses credibility, and NOT for the score only, but what they do NOT say about the GLARING weaknesses in the graphical aspect of this game. When a review does not mention things such as load times/install times, or terrible gameplay animations, or the massive cutscenes.........how can I believe these reviews? If it were another no-name game I find it extremely hard to believe they wouldn't mention all these things that MGS does as bad as other games.

EDIT: This game is selling the online portion separately for god's sake. Oh yeah, but Bioshock has no MP, we have to take off points. Uh oh, Assasin's doesn't have MP, nor does NG, let's make a big deal out of it and take off lots of points. Basically this generation, ANY game that doesn't have MP is always criticized, but MGS is ok because in a way it DOES have MP, pathetic.

As far as those who are on the fence about this game, i will share my opinion and hopefully it might help. I have liked the MGS series before, not loved, liked. Ive owned all of them starting from the PS1.

I think part of the problem is that people this generation have been bombared with games like Halo, Gears, CoD, GTA and are expecting a run and gun type war game. Where as when you watch games like MGS and GRAW you notice they are somewhat similar in that they slow the game down to a more realistic tone. While ive never been in actual war myself, i can tell you ive fought on consoles online with many people and there first reaction is to run and then hop around, which is obviously completely unrealistic.

This generation has introduced the lean, peak and shoot overheard and around corners blindly for next gen war play. Its very unrealistic and almost hollywood in my opinion. People will complain about MGS gameplay on one hand, but fail to mention a game like GTA where you can shoot, aim and lock on blindy to defeat your opponent.

Getting back to MGS and gameplay. On the surface it looks like it has not added anything new to the table. Here are some of the things ive noticed in about 2 hours of gameplay. Shooting controls have gone to classic FPS style by using the R1 and L1 buttons. Choosing weapons and other items (cardboard box: which btw, doesnt work well, and i think its more of a joke, AI knows ur there) are left to the R2/L2 buttons. This is not all next gen i know, but wanted to give you the layout. Previous MGS have always been a bit more complicated imo.

Shooting is shooting, but some new stuff...first of the camosuit is modeled after the octopus and therefor when you lean against a wall or lie on the floor you hit the triagle button and the suit takes on the color of the spot you choose. It does not make you invisible (as seen by a box that tells you how camouflaged you are by %) it does take the enemy AI a second or two longer to find you. They will find you tho if they are on top or near you. Its a pretty cool feature for stealth gameplay and in low light scenarios. You can also choose the color of his weapon pack and base color of the suite in the menu.

Snake now gets a eye piece which gives you the ability to go infrared (more realistic then CoD's) while also giving you detail info to enemies (whos on your side whos not, this does help as you will sometimes be in the middle of a street fight) and locations to droped items such as bullets and weapons.

You also get the control of a MK2 i think its called. this is really cool robot device, that looks like it was designed by sony. You get to take control of this and let it basically sneak around the map or location. You get to hide out basically and let this thing (within a range of distance) go out and snoop around and give you an idea of enemies around the corner and how to layout your attack or stealth. Like i said it only works up to a certain point but is very easy to control and looks and feels well thought out, not cumbersome to use and the camera works very well. Enemies can detect it and try to kill it. It can also stun enemies. Its like scout basically and while in previous games when you have a scout it seems like an afterthought or almost ackward...this works really well and is necessary for complete stealth. imo

While you have to worry about health meter (which you can replenish with food, rations,energy drinks, noodles and other items) you also have to monitor his stess meter. This will fluctuate in different scenarios and is key to balancing because less stress the better snake fights and aims. Smoking brings the stress down, but makes your health go down. Again its a cool balance. For example you get a ipod to play music which helps his stress. After battle, his adreneline and stress level might have gone down, but after you will visually see and older Snake hobble and grab and aches and pains. Again there will be a consequence for going balls out in battle.

You will also notice a slight halo around snake. This will give you indication to where an enemy is located or ally. You will need to know this as again you will sometimes find yourself right smack in the middle of a battle. Its a wide open map that allows you to go almost anywhere and most streets have some type of battle going down. The halo ring will give you direction and indicate friend or ally. The dualshock also vibrates with location as well. Only way to describe this is you get the feeling in the DS3 as to where the enemy is. If you closed your eyes and just felt, you could tell enemy to the right. Its very very cool.

Weapons. Holy cow. No spoilers but you will have access to many weapons, from handguns to machine guns to RPG. You also have the ability to purchase modifications, like adding a light to the end of a gun to reflect in enemies eyes. Scopes, diff types of bullets and more. You get to purchase tons of diff grenades as well. Also when an enemy drops a gun, unlike other games u cant simply pick them up and use them, the will be locked (will expain in story) you will however get the chance to pay to unlock. It seems odd, but is cool once you play. You have the ability to auto aim or manual, i prefer manual as you won't have to fight the camera sometimes. You also have the ability to put grips on guns to improve firing.

When shooting, snake can take third person, or FPS. Starting down the barrel if you want. He can also lie down and pretend to be dead, roll over on his back and then shoot an enemy while laying down on his back. You can peak around an object, but you can also peak to look and peak to fire. This is different and i think most videos ive seen, the player doesnt know how to do it yet, therefore makes the gameplay look clunky. Once you understand how to use it, it makes combat very easy or easier to use. AI is not great, but they are not horribe. There are four levels of gameplay. Easier levels, yes they are not as smart. On hard they will hunt you down and they will find you, and they dont fall for stuff as much as earlier games. You cant just duck into a hiding spot anymore, you gotta move.

Not to disparage other AAA titles for other consoles, but MGS has added a ton of new features as ive listed to its gameplay. War is war, shooting is shooting, and other then wii like controls there is very little you can do to make it "next gen" as so many ppl keep clamoring for, yet can't expain what they want. I enjoyed games like Halo 3, but can anyone honestly tell me how Halo 3 made major strides over Halo 2? What was the next gen leap? Its a great game and all, but its very similar to Halo 1 and Halo 2, even the weapons and vehicles where idenetical for the most part.

If you watch a cutscene online, yes it appears long and boring and drawn out. I hate cutscenes, but MGS is MGS, this is expected as the game is more experience then an actual game. Im not sure if that makes sense but some might understand what i mean. The cutscenes are brilliantly done and essential to the story. Without, they just would not make the game what it is. If you are looking for a great shooter with no story then play CoD4 because that game does that brilliantly. Again, i take this game more as a experience then anything and actually look forward to them as the graphics are stunning. Videos online do no justice. I own two PS3's. I played this game on one 50 1080p TV and a 32 inch 720p both Samsung. Its stunning, it really is and the detail from walking around the levels is also stunning as well. This is a wonderful game, and would recommend to everyone. I own both a 360 and Ps3 so im not giving you a Ps3 fanboy view. Just read the reviews, this game is simply awesome and made many improvements to push it into next gen from its previous versions on past consoles.


Sorry this was an essay, but just my insight and opinions.

DJmizuhara if he's upsetting you to a great degree just put him on your ignore list. There's no reasoning with him, trust me, I've tried before. His graphical expectations are set extremely, extremely high(almost unrealistically high) and I've noticed throughout his comments, that it is pretty much all that he looks at, the graphics.

I've told him once before that he doesn't take into consideration the broad scope(and length) of certain games compared to other games in terms of graphics, but I honestly don't think that he cared at all to that point I was making.

@ Contra

No matter how good a game is, it becomes boring if it doesent improve over
4 parts. RE for example at least changed its style from no-ammo-survival to a 3rd person actiong game. COD is developed by 2 different studios, so there are many changes in gameplay. I guess bungie did it right. They noticed that there wasn't much to improve anymore, so they managed to make halo a trilogy.

To the guy who asked if the game was worth the purchase, im about 5 hours in, have hated every MGS game to date, have lots of issues with this version even 5 hours in, and would still reccomend it to anyone with a PS3.

The graphics are not perfect, they do look really good, but it seems a bit bland to me. It suffers from most of the issues NG2 seems to aside from framerate inconsistancy. Some areas are nice, some are boring, animations are iffy at times too.

As I and others have mentioned, the AI is terrible, but thats only on the easiest setting. I think they really did a disservice by all but removing the AI on the easiest mode. Just adding health and reducing damage would have been enough, but instead I can walk up to people who are supposed to be after me and point a gun in thier face, then shoot before they get mad. Its utterly unacceptable for a game thats rated M(Cero 17 or whatever here in japan).

To the people who think the cutscenes add to the flow, I disagree. While they are pretty, as mentioned before, they are really drawn out. I shouldnt be falling asleep during cutscenes when im playing in the middle of the afternoon. Im a big fan of cutscenes in games, espeically RPGs, but the ones in this game just dont seem to have any relevance to anything.(such as the one in the beggining when thier diving or the eggs in a pan. Hopefully this doesnt spoil anything)

The audio also seems to be hit and miss, with the music basically not being there or being really boring. The sound effects are top tier though and some of the humor so far is kinda funny.

Basically, while only 5 hours in, Ive felt that the gameplay is really fun but the things surrounding it are tedious, boring, and overly drawn out. Its like they forced too much into the game and it hurts it imo. However, based on the gameplay alone Id still say it was a worthy purchase and as mentioned, would suggest it to anyone with a PS3. Would I have bought a PS3 for the game, as someone who has hated every MGS to date, I would say no for myself. Even if I was a fan though, Id probably say its not good enough to warrant a console purchase. Thier are better reasons to own a PS3.

Edit: MGS Online caused me some issues as well and is far from perfect. Played for a short time in practice modes but it took over 3 hours just to set it up(differant time from the main game) This is because it literally killed my PS3 when it tried to update and I had to restore the database and reinstall it multiple times. The once I get in, it had me register but that got all bogged down and annoying. Once I got on, I felt like it was a very limited experience. Paying for more characters? Very limited stages? not a very diverse selection for the character creation either. However, there were a lot of really nice options and I saw a lot of room for future growth so I have hopes for it. I only played the trial practice matches, so I cant judge the actual online gameplay yet(nor could I with about 1hour of actual playtime online to begin with) But so far its not been a pleasant experience online. Sony really should have a universal login system like live, it really goes a long way imo.

Tbh ill buy this, ive only ever played the first MGS which i loved back in the day (and it was a jap import! nightmare for the language!).

Far too many people whining on about 2days games, i think its about time most had a word with themselves and decided that their past time should be something else ie. knitting.

When i first started out playing games it was a blank screen with a line and square ball to bat from side to side! did i whine? did i FK!

Spoilt children, you should be glad in what you have on offer nowadays.....

Game looks incredible will buy in the next few days, no doubt!

Btw cheers to Contra and some of the other lads putting there bit in on if i should buy this! (bit in on? lol!).

I did all of that without shooting anyone, sneaking all the way. That's what MGS is all about...

This is the first I've heard about this so called part 4 rule. And I've noticed that it doesn't apply to every videogame series because there are certain ones that have went past 4 parts still haven't become "boring" yet. Anyhow, what exactly should be changed in order to improve it that doesn't change MGS into a completely different game or ruin it?

(Small fact: MGS2 is actually the 4th installment in the entire Metal Gear saga. MGS: Portable Ops is actually the 4th installment in the MGS series.)

Oh, come you know it doesn't work that way. People know MGS is not a shooter... at its core. But then they watch something like the Frogs video on this site and they see a shooter. Extremely lame shooter on top of that. I think a proper stealth game shouldn't have these "one man army" moments where main character exterminates an entire division of enemies.

I don't have the game and I haven't played it. That said, it doesn't change the fact that a lot of enemies get slaughtered in that video, COD4 style. You don't have things like that in Thief.